


Underdog

by WashSpirit



Category: Krashlyn - Fandom, Presston - Fandom, Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Continuation, F/F, Family, Future, O'Solo - Freeform, Orginial Characters, Presston - Freeform, USWNT, krashlyn - Freeform, talex - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-06-02 13:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6568144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WashSpirit/pseuds/WashSpirit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger's daughter and her struggles playing professional soccer, finding love, and learning life's hardest lesson.</p><p>In which Krashlyn and Presston's kids are in a relationship with one another.</p><p>(Continuation for Champion)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fighter

Ashlyn's POV  
Hospital (2017)

My heart dropped when the doctor told us that we had to deliver the baby a few weeks early. I was a nervous wreck throughout Ali's pregnancy, but I had made it a point to do everything by the book to ensure our baby's good health.  
So hearing the older man say that our pregnancy was going to be a complicated one made me feel so insignificant and useless. All of my efforts had been in vain.

I held Ali's hand throughout the whole ordeal. The only time I left my wife's side was when I stepped outside to call her brother, Kyle, and tell him about the situation.

After several hours in the delivery room the doctor did a c-section and delivered our daughter. A wave of relief washed over me when I heard the sound of my little girl's cries fill the room. I kept a watchful eye as the nurses took our baby aside to count all five of her fingers and toes.

My nerves were on edge again when I realized that she looked much smaller than she was suppose to. The nurses filled me in on what would happen next. Unfortunately she would have to be monitored, but her vitals looked fairly well.

"With proper treatment and care she should be able to support herself in no time. For now we'll give her some stuff to help her out," one of the older nurses told me soothingly.

I nodded my head and watched as they rolled my daughter out of the room in a incubator. Ali instructed me to follow them and make sure she was okay. After I kissed my wife's forehead I followed the nurses until they went into another room and told me to wait outside. I was still able to see the women at work through the room's window.

I was scared. I was scared for my daughter's life and the realization made my eyes water slightly. I took a step back from the window and collided with something. When I looked up to see what I had hit I was met with Kyle's soothing brown eyes. He had followed me as I walked out of the room. My brother in law gave me a weak smile as he held me in his arms.

"She'll be fine, Ash. If she's anything like Ali then she'll be up and running in no time."

I laughed lightly at the older man's words as I let him comfort me.

Sure enough he was right. Our daughter was released from the hospital a week later and we were able to take her home.

Ali had decorated the baby's room months prior to the girl's actual birth, so she was ecstatic to show our daughter her new room.

Every night either Ali or I would rock our baby girl to sleep and lay her down for the night.

"She's gotten so big...so healthy," Ali mused as she stroked the girl's head as she slept in her crib.

I leaned my head forward to kiss the inside of Ali neck as I hummed in agreement.

"She's a fighter. Kyle, says she gets it from you, and I agree whole heartily."

Ali smiled fondly at her me as she kissed my lips softly.

"And what about you? What did you give her," Ali teased lightly.

I smiled my signature smile, my dimple probably showing, as I replied to my wife's remarks without hesitation.

"Probably my good looks."

Ali slapped my arm lightly as she smiled and kissed me again. After telling our daughter goodnight and turning off her night light, we left the room quietly.

The moment I saw my daughter I had made a promise to protect her. I knew in foresight that I couldn't control everything, but anything that I could control I would if it meant keeping my baby girl out of harms way.


	2. A Favor

**22 Years Later  
Ashlyn's POV  
Krieger-Harris household (Palo, Alto California)**

"Ava, don't worry. Just keep doing your best at school and on the field and I promise it will all pay off," Ali said reassuringly as she rubbed circles on our daughter's back.

"I just feel like it's not going anywhere. If I'm good then why haven't I been called up to any camps?"

My 22 year old daughter sighed as she looked at me and Ali. Her brown eyes, identical to my wife's, had a somber look in them. For as long as I've raised my daughter she had always been given life's lower hand.

For instance right now she was playing college soccer at Stanford, but what she really wanted was to be called in to a national team camp. Despite the obvious strings me and Ali could pull, we didn't get involved in our daughter's personal affairs like that. She would never forgive us if we did.

Its not that Ava wasn't talented enough to get on the national team, because she was. Its just very difficult to get noticed by the federation. Ava had dedicated her life to the sport at a young age in the hopes of getting scouted one day.

However, my daughter had been a sickly child and had often suffered from health problems, which prevented her from playing as frequently as she would of liked. This caused Ava to go unnoticed by the youth teams as an adolescent.

In high school the girl had started to get a rhythm. As an attacking midfielder she was brilliant. Her ability with the ball, along with her technicality allowed her to make varsity in her freshmen year.

Unfortunately a run in with a over aggressive player (and a unnecessary slide tackle) caused her to suffer a torn MCL. The young attacking mid had to sit out two seasons (which consisted of both her sophmore and junior year). When she was allowed to play again in her senior year she only got as far as JV.

Ava didn't know this, but that was actually my doing. I was worried about my daughter's well being and forced the school's soccer coach to play her at a lower level in order to avoid high intensity players. I didn't want a repeat of last time.

Although Ava was a little crestfallen at not being able to play with her some of her senior friends she made the best of the situation. The JV team won some big titles with Ava as their captain. In the end it didn't matter if she was playing with the varsity team or not because colleges were still interested in her.

My daughter decided to study in Palo Alto, the city in which she was raised, and play at Stanford. Both Ali and I were overjoyed and happy for our daughter's accomplishments.

Although Ava was staying in the same city, she didn't want to live in the same house. She claimed she wanted the full college experience, and Ali backed her up on it. When fall rolled around at the university, we helped her move into a dorm. Her roommate Cathy seemed like a nice enough girl so I wasn't really bothered by it. Besides if she ever needed anything she could just call.

Fast forward a couple of years and our little girl wasn't so little anymore. One day she was 5 years old the next she was 22 and a senior in college. It was overwhelming to think about at times.

"I don't know maybe I should just concentrate solely on school, if soccer isn't paying off," Ava said softly as she got up off the couch and left the room.

I made to follow her but Ali caught me by the arm and pulled me back down to have a seat.

"Maybe we can call someone to send a scout. I know Abby's coaching the team now so...", my wife cut me off with her opposition.

"No. You know we can't do that. We always said we wouldn't mingle in her personal life and this is apart of her personal life. Besides she wouldn't feel like she earned it if we called someone to do us a favor on her behalf. We just have to wait and see."

I crossed my arms sadly before reasoning with my wife.

"Ali, she looks so sad. I don't want her to think that all of her hard work is in vain. I mean its her senior year and Abby still hasn't called her up. What is the federation thinking anyway," I exclaimed defensively.

Ali signed as she leaned into me. Her brown eyes met mine as she spoke softly.

"They're just reviewing all of their options. We had to go through that long wait too, remember?"

I nodded my head in understanding but still felt bothered over the situation. I didn't want my daughter to think that she wasn't good enough, that she didn't deserve her own chance.

Maybe I won't call in a favor, but that doesn't mean I couldn't do something to help.

"I don't like seeing her sad. We should do something...lift her spirits."

Ali looked at me curiously.

"What do you have in mind?"

It took everything in my being to tell my wife my proposal.

Personally I didn't really agree with my own decision, but I knew it would make my daughter happy. So in the end I agreed to bring around the one person that would absolutely lift my child's spirit and brighten her day.

"Last I checked Johnston got called into the July camp and is in the area. It wouldn't hurt to give her a call...tell her to stop by."


	3. Your Daughter's Girlfriend

**Hayley Press-Johnston POV  
**

**Palo Alto, California  
Press-Johnston Residence**

Little driblets of sweat ran down my neck as I jogged around my neighborhood in the smoldering sun. The weather in California was blistering this time of the year. Normally I would run at a more reasonable hour (say at six or seven pm when the sun had already gone down) however, tonight I had plans for the evening.

I was in town for a national team camp and I had every desire to be in the best shape for it. I wanted to work on my endurance and ability, but I also wanted to take advantage of my stay by visiting some friends and family.

I had grown up in Palo Alto and most of my immediate family lived here. Aside from my moms and sister, I also had someone else whom I cherished in the area.

Ava and I had known each other since we were teenagers. We had first met at her house unexpectedly. I had dropped by the Krieger-Harris household to hear about a endorsement deal involving Nike and Adidas.

See at the time I was 18 years old and had just been called up to play with the national team as a starter. Apparently I was already making a good impression and brands wanted my name on their products.

Ali was my agent so she had recieved the contracts and told me to stop by her place to review them together. As we were talking about my future endorsement deal, Ava walked in unknowingly.

I hadn't seen her since we were kids. We had both grown up in Palo Alto, but neither one of us had kept in touch. The last time we had seen each other was when we were going into primary school.

When I saw Ava again for the first time in 15 years, I was mesmerized. She looked beautiful with her hair pulled up in a neat bun while sporting some soccer gear. My heart fluttered in my chest. She was only 17 at the time, a whole year younger than me, but she looked so beautiful (even with the soccer gear on).

My train of thought was brought back to the present time when I turned and saw my childhood home at the corner of my street. I exhaled slowly as I pushed myself to finish the last mile. When I landed on my front door step I unlocked the door and hurried inside.  
I sighed contently when the house's air conditioning hit my body, refreshing me completely.

I still had a few more hours before I had to get ready to go over to Ali and Ash's place to surprise Ava.

I was surprised at first when Ashlyn had called me on the phone and told me to stop by whenever I had the chance. See the former World Champion wasn't very fond of me. When I jokingly asked if she was running a fever she had practically growled on the other end of the line and told me not to push it.

It wasn't that Ashlyn hated me (she actually somewhat liked me). She was just very protective of her daughter and I just happened to be her daughter's girlfriend. I understood that that was the reason why she was always on edge when I was around.

When I asked Ashlyn why she 'voluntarily' wanted me to stop by, she filled me in on Ava's current mood.  
I frowned at the reason.  
Ava was getting discouraged at the thought of not getting called into camps, despite the fact that she had been playing college soccer for years now.

In the end I agreed to Ash's proposal and promised to stop by as soon as I flew into the states (because I was currently still playing with my club team in Spain).

The timing had been just right for me to stop by for a visit.  I had been called into another national team camp which just so happened to be situated in Cali.

Unlike Ava I had been called into national youth teams and camps since I was eleven. It wasn't that I was better, I just got lucky. That's how it is for every girl trying to get a spot.

"Does Ava know I'm stopping by," I questioned the blonde goalkeeper on the phone.

"No, Ali wanted it to be a surprise."

I smiled at the thought of being the 'big reveal'. After my conversation had ended with the former keeper I began to pack my bags and bought a one way ticket to the states.

When I landed I asked my moms if they could pick me up from the airport and give me a ride home. When we got to the house I was surprised to see that both of my mothers went all out by cooking my favorite meal. My younger sister, Taylor, was also apart of the welcoming committee, but barely admitted to it.

And now I was currently sitting down on my parent's living room sofa flipping channels on the flat screen while rehydrating my body.

"Hayley, I told you not to sit on the sofa after running! You're going to get the couch dirty," my green eyed mother said as she shoo'ed me away from the living room area.

"Oh come on, mom. I was only going to be there for a few minutes."

She shook her head at me as she lightly pushed me up the stairs.

"You can sit down on the couch after you take a shower."

Just then my other mother walked into the room to see what all the commotion was about.

"Hey, how was your run," the former defender asked as she proceeded to meet me at the bottom of the stairs.

"It was hot out, but I did okay. Mom won't let me sit on the sofa..."

I was cut off suddenly by her rebuttal.

"Julie, please tell your daughter that she has to take a shower before sitting down on any of my furniture."

My blue eyed mother looked at me with an apologetic stare as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Sorry kid, what your mom says goes."

I groaned as I made my way upstairs to my bathroom, but not before whispering 'whipped' under my breath.

Julie overheard her daughter's remark and looked over at her wife who was  smiling triumphantly.

"Chris, I'm not whipped right?"

Christen couldn't help but laugh as she leaned over to kiss the pout that had formed on Julie's face.

"No, baby. Not at all," the former striker said teasingly.


	4. Surprise

**Flashback  
5 years ago   
Ava Krieger Harris (17 years old)**

"They're driving me crazy," I said as I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes.

"They're just trying to look out for you, Av."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at my girlfriend's response. She didn't really understand where I was coming from. Unlike my parents, Hayley's moms were always lax and cool with everything.

I couldn't even blink sometimes without one of my moms asking me if I was 'okay'. It was bothersome to constantly have them breathing down my neck. In retrospective I understood why they were constantly worried about me.   
When I was younger I was always sick. I had some respiratory and cardiac problems but its been years since I've encountered them again.   
Now I was seventeen and wanted to experience things to the fullest while I was still young. My efforts, however, were always cut short by my mothers' constant pestering.

"Hay, you don't get it. Your moms are cool with whatever you do. My moms freak out when I go to soccer practice. I mean it's like they don't want me to do anything! I get that they care for me, but sometimes its just too much."

Hayley looked at me sympathetically. Her green eyes bore into mine as she pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek. My heart sped up a little at the other girl's proximity. The comfort that she was offering was too good to pass up. I leaned into her body as she closed her arms around me.

We were currently sitting on the roof of her car overlooking some part of the city on top of a hill. It was chilly outside so Hayley was nice enough to lend me her varsity jacket. We had only known each other for a couple of months, but I knew that I had fallen for the other girl hard. I wasn't really scared by the idea, because I believed that she had possibly done the same.

"I know. I get it, Av. Sometimes my moms overdo it to, but it shouldn't matter in your case. You'll be leaving for college in a few more years, so I guess you'll be somewhat free after that."

I knew that the other girl was right. If I really wanted to I could leave my hometown or even my home state to try to get away from my parents, but the thing is I didn't want to do that. I loved California and I had always dreamed about going to Stanford. My mind was set on staying here, even if that meant dealing with my over protective mothers.

"I still want them to back off a bit. Especially my mama. I don't know, Hay. Sometimes I just feel like I'm suffocating...like I just want some space," I said softly as I rested my head on the taller girl's shoulder.

The older girl hummed in response and continued to hold me close. I closed my eyes as I rested against her chest and heard her breathing lightly in my ear. I relaxed into her touch and practically went limp in her arms as she rocked me softly back and forth.

"Promise me you'll never treat me like some damsel in distress. Don't ever think of me as some fragile piece of glass," I said lowly as I curled further into her.

The other girl didn't let go. I wasn't sure what response I would get, but when Hayley leaned down to press a kiss on top of my head and whisper in my ear I felt like it didn't matter much. The gesture alone led me to forget what we had previously been talking about.

"If that's what you want then I'll respect it," the taller girl had said in my ear. Her breath had brushed lightly across my neck making me shiver slightly.

**Present Time  
Ali's POV  
Krieger-Harris Household**

Ashlyn and I stood to the side as Ava ran into Hayley's arms. The unmistakable smile that made its way onto her face indicated that she had liked her 'surprise'. My daughter's evident happiness radiated off of her and onto me as I smiled fondly at the scene in front of me.

"What are you doing here!"

Ava barely gave the other girl a chance to respond as she led her further into the house and sat her down on one of the kitchen's bar stools. I followed the pair so that I could offer them refreshments as they caught up.

It had been several months since either girl last saw each other. Hayley was still playing with her club team in Spain while Ava remained at Palo Alto to study at the university.

"Why didn't you tell me you were stopping by?!"

The taller of the two girls just shrugged her shoulders with a light smile as she replied.

"We wanted it to be a surprise."

"We," my daughter questioned as she looked at both Ashlyn and I.

"Guilty," I responded raising my hands before asking both girls if they wanted some lemonade.

"But it was actually your mother's idea."

My daughter's face instantly went from happiness to confusion in a matter of seconds. She turned her attention towards her blonde haired mother.

"Really? Ma, you planned this," Ava asked my wife as I sat a glass down in front of her.

Ashlyn shrugged before occupying one of the bar stools by Hayley.

"I figured it would be nice to have us all together."

I laughed lightly to myself as I overheard Ashlyn's attempt at 'being nice'.

Unlike my wife I didn't mind Hayley's company. She was bright and had a lot of ambition. In some ways she reminded me of myself when I was her age. Aside from that she was always respectful and considerate towards my daughter.

"Okay, well me and your mother will let you two catch up," I said as I walked over to Ashlyn and intwined our arms.

"If you need anything we'll be upstairs."

Ava nodded before walking over to us and giving us both a hug. The younger girl tip toed to give Ashlyn a kiss on the cheek before thanking her for personally inviting Hayley over.

"Thank you, mama."

Ashlyn smiled fondly down at her daughter as she held her in her arms for a bit. She proceeded to kiss the the top of her head before following me upstairs to our bedroom.

"Mom?"

I turned around at the sound of my daughter calling out to me.

"Me and Hayley will probably head out to watch a movie or something. She said she'll drop me off here afterward, but you and mama don't have to stay up."

I nodded my head in understanding and told the younger girl it was fine.

"Just be careful, girls."

Ashlyn pipped up beside me shortly after.

"Johnston, don't keep her out too late."

Ava's cheeks filled with color at her mother's warning. She hid her face slightly in embarrassment as she told her girlfriend not to take her mother's words seriously.

"No. I'm being serious if she comes home late I'll personally..."

I nudged Ashlyn in the ribs with my elbow. The former keeper groaned at the impact.

"She's joking," I said over my shoulder.

"Ow, Ali what was that for?"

I gave her a pointed look that basically told her to knock it off and leave our daughter alone. She huffed in compliance as we made our way up the stairs.

When we finally got to our bedroom I closed the door behind us and met my wife with a glare.

"I'm just trying to look out for her you know. God only knows what Johnston actually has planned for tonight..."

I sighed at my wife's words before walking over to her and willing her to sit down on our bed.

I pressed light circles on Ash's shoulders before speaking again.

"She'll be fine. She's in good hands. Besides they're just going out to see a movie."

**Ava's POV  
Several Minutes Later**

"We're not going to see a movie are we?"

Hayley smiled as she leaned over to kiss me softly.

"Nope," the green eyed striker replied as she pulled out of my drive-way in her car and drove off to our unknown destination.


	5. My Bad

**Ava's POV  
Several Minutes Later**

_"We're not going to see a movie are we?"_

_Hayley smiled as she leaned over to kiss me softly._

_"Nope," the green eyed striker said as she pulled out of my drive-way and drove off._

I chuckled as I fumbled around with Hayley's car radio. When I found a station I liked I left if there before looking over to see her smiling back at me.

"What?"

Hayley laughed lightly before turning back to look at the road.

"Nothing. I was just admiring is all."

My face felt hot at the other girl's words. I smiled at her regardless and even felt silly for being so spellbound by her.

After knowing each other for years I expected myself to be use to the striker by now, but it always took me by surprise when she complimented me (and she did so often).

"Well, you're not so bad to look at yourself."

Hayley smirked lightly as she kept her eyes on the road and made a swift turn into the opposing lane.

"Oh yeah," the blonde questioned.

"Yeah," I answered with a smirk of my own.

"As a matter of fact...you're actually kinda hot."

Hayley laughed a little finally tearing her gaze away from the road in front of us and stealing a glance at me.

I looked my girlfriend over, mentally confirming my previous statement.

She was actually very attractive.

Hayley had wavy blonde locks and green eyes that were absolutely mesmerizing (similar to her biological mother's).

Her face, once soft and plump, was now chiseled and defined indicating that all traces of baby fat were long gone. Despite this, her eyes still held a childlike wonder in them that made me smile.

Aside from all of that, years of professional soccer has made her once lanky body now toned and fit.

When we first started dating about five years ago she looked tall and slender, but now her muscles were much more noticeable. Her arms were probably the biggest change that I had personally seen (or rather felt).

When we were teens I would lean in to Hayley's embrace and land on squishy tissue, but now it was like laying on a smooth rock.

Quite honestly at first glance anyone could see that the other girl was a catch.

My train of thought stopped when I noticed that we were pulling up into an empty parking lot at Hayley's old high school. It was about two hours till midnight so it was no surprise why we were the only ones in sight.

Curious I looked over to the green eyed striker as she parked her car in the abandoned lot.

"Not that I don't trust you, but what are we doing here?"

Hayley smiled before reaching behind her to retrieve a soccer ball from the backseat.

Instantly, I knew what the other girl had in mind, and I was more than ready to take her up on her offer.

**Hayley's POV**

I dribbled the ball down the school's soccer field towards goal before I felt her body pushing up against my arm to try to take it away.

She managed to kick the ball away from under my feet, leaving it unattended on the open field.

We both made a dash for it, laughing as we went.

Just when I thought I was close enough to regain possession, she ran in front of me making me think differently.

I collided with her back as she blocked me. I tried to kick the ball away from her, but the other girl had great defensive technique.

Eventually I got tired and decided to use another tactic. I brought my hands up to her sides and began to tickle her. My actions instantly made the girl turn around in my arms, leaving the ball behind and forgotten.

She laughed, despite herself, as she tried to push me off.

"Hay! Stop! You're gonna make me sick," the girl exclaimed in between breaths.

I smiled before stopping my movements and pecking her on the nose.

Ava looked at me, tears running down her face from laughing, and kissed me back. She tried to pull away afterward, but I was tangled up with her limbs. When the other girl moved back I moved forward with her causing us to both fall on the grassy school field.

I landed on top of her accidentally as her back hit the floor. We laughed for a few minutes before catching our breaths. I laid on top of her for a while before I got off and moved onto my back. Looking up I could barely make out the constellations in the sky due to the city's light pollution, but the moon illuminated brightly creating a decent sight

I listened intently to the sound of my own breathing as I lay still on the ground. I rested my head back and felt the plush grass cushion it as I attempted to see the stars in the sky.

Ava took advantage of my absent mindedness and crawled on top of me. She laid her head softly against my chest pressing her ear below my shoulder blade.

"I can hear your heart beating. Its weird."

I chuckled and placed a supportive hand on her lower back to keep her from falling off.

"I heard that too," the dark haired girl said, referring to my laugh.

"I love you."

I couldn't help but say it to her. I was a fool for her. Sometimes my mind did and said things before I could stop it. I was a little bit more impulsive when I was around Ava. I liked that about us though...I like that about her.

She removed her head from my chest slightly to look up at me.

"I love you too."

I met her gaze steadily and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, but a noise startled the both of us apart.

"Hey! Hey, you kids! What the hell are you doing here! Get the hell out or I'll call you in for trespassing!"

It was one of the school's security guards.

Apparently we had overstayed our welcome.

Laughing, I grabbed Ava's arm and we ran back to my car. Unfortunately we had to jump the fence that surrounded the school's field because the security guard was blocking our original exit.

I went first so that I could cushion Ava when she decided to climb over. However, when the dark haired girl swung her leg past the fence and jumped down I miscalculated where she would land and she fell awkwardly on the ground. A soft cry left her lips when she hit the floor.

"Shit, Av are you alright," I asked worriedly as I hurried to pick her up.

The other girl nodded stiffly as she exhaled slowly.

"Yeah its just...my ankle... I landed on it."

When Ava tried to get up she had to sit back down from the pain.

On the other end of the fence the sound of the man's warnings sounded closer and more threatening.

"We have to get out of here," I told the shorter girl as I crouched down and lifted her off the ground.

She actually wasn't heavy, but I was surprised that I was able to carry her (I guess it was all the lifting at training).

When I walked up to my car I set Ava down on her feet as I unlocked it. After I opened the passenger door, I helped her inside and got into the driver's side.

When I drove out of the school's parking lot I felt a wave of relief wash over me, however the serenity didn't last long.

After I realized that Ava was hurt two things entered my mind, the first was, 'crap Ava is hurt and I feel bad because its partially my fault', and the second was, 'Ashlyn's going to kill me'.

"How do you feel?"

The other girl sighed as she looked down at her ankle.

"It hurts, but I don't think there's a fracture."

I frowned at the thought. I didn't want to take Ava home and hear a earful from her parents, but I also knew that I needed to bring this to someone's attention.

Suddenly a idea came into my head and I used it as my last resort.

"Don't worry, Av. I know someone who can help us out."


	6. Noticed

**Ava's POV**

There was no denying that my foot was severely sprained. The realization hit hard the morning after it had been injured. When I woke up, my leg was stiff and my foot looked grossly inflated and discolored.

The night I had hurt my ankle Hayley had taken me to the one person that was more than willing to help us out (while keeping it all to himself).

My Uncle Kyle, my mother's only brother, was our last resort. He had tapped my foot up and told me his diagnosis. Thankfully it wasn't a frature, however Kyle did mention that it was still sprained. My uncle suggested to rest my foot for a week or two, only applying minimal pressure to it if necessary. The last thing Kyle suggested before Hayley took me back home was to not strain myself and apply a lot of ice to reduce the swelling.

I took my Uncle Kyle's advice and popped back some pain killers and put enough ice on my foot till it felt numb. I was hoping that if I paid little mind to it, I could forget that it existed.

I avoided my moms all day, trying my best to hide my problem from them. The last thing I needed was to have them go on parent overdrive and fuss over me for the rest of the week.

My moms would also, no doubt, prevent me from playing for the rest of the summer if they even suspected that I was hurt.

I had to play it cool. Even if it was hellish to deal with.

Three days went by faster than I cared to realize. I continued to avoid my moms, much to their dismay, but managed to go undetected. Unfortunately my foot was still slightly swollen and I was beginning to panic.

I had missed practice two days in a row and I had a game tomorrow with my club team.  
Fortunately I was a diligent player and my two absences were easily forgiven by my coach. However, If I wasn't healthy enough to walk properly I wasn't sure how I could manage to play in tomorrow's game.

The thought ran through my head over and over again, and by the end of the third day I had called it a quits. I was ready to admit defeat, to throw in the towel,  and tell my parents and team about my sprain.

I had been pacing (or rather limping around) in my bedroom preparing myself to go downstairs to tell my moms about my ankle, when my phone rang suddenly. I usually would of ignored it, or let it go to voicemail, but I saw Hayley's picture on my phone's cover and I couldn't resist answering.

"Hey, what's up?"

Hayley doesn't usually call me, if anything she just text or stops by. Phone calls were definitely rare.

"Av! Oh, thank god you answered! Listen I have something to tell you..."

I stopped all of my movements and found myself sitting back down on my childhood bed.

Usually I would stay at the dorms in the university, but during the summer I would "move back in" with my moms to humor them. Which is why I was currently staying with them now.

"What is it, Hay?"

I was a little worried at how frantic my girlfriend sounded on the other end. She usually wasn't one to get overly excited over things. If anything that was usually my thing.

"Carli is stopping by the university today. She's visiting several schools in the area, but Stanford is definitely on the list. Hope filled me in this morning."

My breathing had stopped the moment she had said the name "Carli".

See several years back everyone on the national team had retired to do their own thing. For example, one of my moms became an agent and now works with young players. It was common to retire but still be very much involved. Even Hayley's parents were still situated in the soccer world. But there were players like Abby, Hope, Becky, and Carli that were not only still involved with soccer, but continued to influence it.

There was a difference.

Carli Lloyd wasn't just anybody. Shortly after retiring she had become a recruiter for the federation, and she was damn good at her job. Most of the girls Carli had put in a good word for ended up becoming gold medalist both on the national and youth teams. The former midfielder had a eye for talent, even more so than her competitor Hope Solo (who also happened to be a recruiter). And although Hope had discovered a lot of talent (like Hayley) there was no denying that getting picked out of the crowd by Carli Lloyd was the ultimate form of flattery.

"Av, you still there.."

I barely heard Hayley as she spoke to me over the phone. My heart was beating rapidly and my mind was racing. Butterflies filled my stomach at the possibility of being scouted. I tuned everything else out as I got lost in my own thoughts. A million pictures entered my mind one by one.

My dream was close. So close that I could see it. So close that I couldn't let it slip by me.

"Yeah, I'm still here," I say slowly letting everything settle in my head.

"Okay good, listen, Hope didn't give me specifics, but I have a feeling she'll try to catch some games played between tomorrow and this upcoming Friday. Carli's only scheduled to stay in Cali for a week, after that she flys to Virginia."

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding in. The pounding in my chest out did that of the one I felt on my ankle.

"I'm playing tomorrow. It's with the summer league that I joined. Do you think she'll go," my voice let the question hang in the air, which now felt so thick with anticipation.

"Honestly Av, I think that's a big possibility right now," Hayley said excitedly over the phone.

I couldn't help but smile as I leaned back and let my body hit the mattress. Tears began to form in my eyes out of relief and happiness. For years I had wanted this and now I finally had it.

This was a once in a lifetime shot, and it was in my midst. I let out a cry of excitement and joy unable to hold back my emotions. Hayley's laugh was the only thing that could be heard on the other end of the line.

"It's happening, Hay! It's really happening! I've got a shot to prove myself! I've got a shot..."my voice trailed off as the phrase repeated itself in my head several times.

"Yeah Ava it's your time. This is your shot."

My girlfriend's soothing voice spoke to me over the phone bringing me back down to reality. Once I had recovered from my emotional high I sat up in my bed and looked out my bedroom window.

I wanted to engrave this moment in my mind. I never wanted to forget this feeling of hopefulness and excitment.

"Av? Did you hear me?"

I shook myself out of my thoughts and gave Hayley my undivided attention again.

"Huh? Sorry I was spacing out a bit," I said sheepishly.

"I was asking how your ankle's feeling. Will you be good for tomorrow's game," Hayley asked concerned.

I cursed myself mentally forgetting my biggest set back. I looked down at my ankle and saw it for what it currently was. Although the swelling had gone down, it was still puffy at the sides. Recuperating was taking longer than I had perviously expected and there was nothing I could do to speed up the process.

I thought of everything in that moment. Everything I ever did and didn't do. All my accomplishments and failures went through my head as I sat on my childhood bed.

Everything I ever wanted was a step away.

I couldn't pass this up.

I wouldn't pass it up.

Tomorrow I was going to play, and I was going to meet Carli Lloyd's standards.

"Yeah I'm good. My foot feels fine. I kinda forgot it got hurt in the first place," I lied smoothly into my phone.

I felt guilty lying to Hayley, but If I wanted to play tomorrow I had to play off my injury.

I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me up. 


	7. Something's Wrong

**Ali's POV**

We had arrived at Ava's game early. A feeling of nostalgia hit me as I sat with Ashlyn on the school's bleachers watching my daughter warm up with her teammates. It was moments like these that reminded me of when Ava was younger and playing in youth teams. I remember Ashlyn and I would go to most of her games to cheer her on.

I smiled as I thought back to how Ava use to run ahead of Ashlyn to get to the field quicker.

"Hey, you okay?"

I was pulled back from my memory as I heard my wife's voice beside me. When I looked over I met her honey colored eyes and felt a sense of comfort engulf me.

"Yeah, am fine. I'm just remembering when Ava was younger and playing with her first team," I laughed lightly as I recalled some of the girl's funnier incidents.

Ashlyn smiled, a dimple forming on her cheek.

"Do you remember when she would run off the field to get water whenever she wanted."

I couldn't help but laugh along side my wife as the image replayed itself in my head. We sat there for a few minutes talking about the past. A light air surrounded us as we reminisced about our family. Even snippets of our marriage before Ava was born was brought up in our conversation which made my chest fill with emotion.

"I'm so happy I have the two of you in my life."

My sentiment threw Ashlyn off for a split second, but she opened her arms to me regardless. I fell into her embrace and allowed her to hold me as we both sat side by side on the cold bleachers.

Several minutes had past and the game looked like it was going to start. The players had taken their positions on the field and the subs had taken their seats on the bench.

Ava had joined the opposing captain and an official at the center of the field for a coin toss. Fortunately the odds were in our favor and the coin toss dictated that our team would start the kick off.

A round of applause filled the stands as both teams settled on the field.

"Ali!"

I turned at the sound of my name.

When I looked around to spot the owner of the unsuspecting voice I smiled as I realized that it was Christen. Hayley followed closely behind her mother as they climbed up the bleacher's steps to meet me and Ashlyn.

I quickly released the hold I had on my wife to engulf Christen in a hug.

"Hey! I didn't know you guys were gonna show up! You should of said something sooner," I said excitedly as I invited both mother and daughter to take a sit next to me.

"Well, this one told me last minute," Christen said pointing at Hayley.

The younger girl defended herself immediately.

"How was I suppose to know that you wanted to come?"

"You and I both know I never miss a opportunity to come visit my old campus," Christen said musingly as she concentrated on the game in front of her.

"I just hope we didn't miss anything," the former striker said looking over to Ashlyn and I.

I shook my head and explained that the game had just started.

"Hey Christen, where's Julie," I heard my wife question once she realized that her partner in crime was no where in sight.

"She stayed home to finish up some work, but she'll be free after the game if you guys want to go out to eat somewhere. I can just tell her to meet us there."

Ashlyn nodded excitedly, agreeing to the idea and making me laugh. Ashlyn and Julie were a odd pair to have around, but they strangely understood each other in a way neither Christen or I could explain.

"Wow that was a close shot," Hayley said openly, referring to the opposing's team shot on goal.

"Our defense looks a bit frazzled."

I nodded my head in agreement noticing that the other team's strikers were beating our defenders easily. It was almost uncharacteristically easy. I saw Ava position herself along a goal post waiting for the other team's corner kick. Thankfully Megan, Stanford's current goalkeeper, punched it out of harms way.

"Come on, Ava! Hustle back to midfield," Ashlyn yelled beside me in encouragement.

"She's running a bit slow today," my blonde headed wife whispered to me as we watched the game together.

I hummed in acknowledgment as I took in my my wife's words.

It's true.

Ava looked slower than usual. She touched the ball carefully and made decent passes but her movement and recovery were hindered.

"Did she get enough sleep last night? Maybe she's tired," I said to Ashlyn as we watched on.

My wife shrugged her shoulders as the game continued.

My daughter's slow pace on the pitch resulted in a lot of mishaps. Balls kept getting through because she lacked to intercept them when she was suppose to, this resulted in a lot of chaos for the backline. The fact that it was consistently happening was riling up her coach.

"Harris, cover the spaces! Number five is beating you too easily! Come on!"

Ava would nod and attempt to do what her coach wanted her to do, but it was as if she couldn't do it. It was as if her body didn't let her do it.

"Let's go, Ava! Don't slow down baby," Ashlyn yelled from our spot on the bleachers as she clapped her hands together.

"Ash she doesn't look good. I think somethings wrong."

Ashlyn looked over to me and back at our daughter. We watched on as she, once again, failed to catch up to an opposing player.

"I mean when she left the house this morning she looked fine. I don't think she's sick..."

My words were caught in the back of my throat as the other team shot a rocket at goal. Thankfully Megan was able to clear it out of harms way. The shooter had been a tall blonde midfielder who had beaten Ava in most of her runs.

"Damn that was close," I heard Hayley say under her breath as Christen clapped in encouragement beside her.

The official blew his whistle indicating the ending of the first half. We all remained on the bleachers as the players on the field dispersed to their respective locker rooms.

Ashlyn excused herself to go to the bathroom, while Hayley took an incoming phone call. Christen and I stayed seated as we talked about the game amongst other things.

Ava's playing remained in the back of my head. I felt a daunting feeling rest in the pit of my stomach. Like something bad was bound to happen.


	8. Bone Crushing

**Ava's POV**

As soon as my coach stopped yelling at me, I filed along side my teammates to go to our school's locker room. I rushed to sit down on one of the benches and sighed in relief. I took off my cleat to inspect my ankle. If possible it had gotten even more discolored than before.

I sat away from my teammates to avoid exposing my injury. I hissed as I set my foot down on the cold tile floor and began to ransack my bag for some pain killers. When I found the bottle of pills I popped two back and waited till they took their desired affect.

I ran for a good 45 mintues out there and my foot was pounding from pain. The pressure needed to run and make sharp turns on the field was putting a strain on my ankle, but I was determined to play.

I knew that if I could just numb the feeling I would be able to play normally. I grabbed a plastic bag in the locker room and filled it with ice and began to apply it to my foot. I sat down with my teammates as we discussed strategy.

In that moment I felt hypocritical advising my teammates on what they should be doing, when I myself hadn't had the best game of my life. Nonetheless, they took my words to heart and gave my authority no resistance.

I threw the bag of ice away and slipped on my cleat before walking out with my teammates. The beginning of second half would begin shortly. I cleared my head and payed little mind to the aching  feeling I felt at the end of my leg as I took my spot on the field.

I sighed and scanned my surroundings. Before the official's whistle blew, to indicate the beginning of the second half, my eyes saw Hayley as she talked along side an unfamiliar figure besides the stands.

My breath caught in my throat when I realized that the unknown bystander was former World Champion, Carli Lloyd.

My thoughts were pulled away from the pair when I heard the ref blow his whistle.

The other team began the game, initiating the kick off. The pain in my foot was no longer dawning my thoughts as I pressured the opposing team to regain possession of the ball.

I was slow.  
I had felt it in the first half and began to notice it again when the other team's forwards easily beat me to the ball.

My only other tactic at this point was to play smarter. I resisted the urge to fully pressure the other players, and instead settled on letting them come to me. This way I could easily take the ball away from them with my strength. However this would only work if I calculated everything from their body movement to their passes correctly.

As the game progressed I had noticed that I got the ball more. Unfortunately my team was having difficulty finding open spaces to make good runs, which resulted in me losing possession easily.

The opposing team managed to get more shots on target, but our goalkeeper kept us in the game by making great saves.

"Ava, I need you to play more offensively, look for the pass and overlap!"

My coach had been yelling instructions at me all game. I had tried my best to follow them, but when it came down to it my body just wasn't responding. Regardless I gave him a thumbs up from the field, indicating that I had understand what he wanted.

The pain killers I had taken in the locker room began kicking in at just the right time. The pounding in my foot subsided and I felt more comfortable putting pressure on it to run up field more.

Around the 80th minute my team had finally made a good play.

Somehow our left wing was able to get the ball and beat two defenders in her run. When she reached the outside of the other team's penalty box she crossed the ball to our center forward. Unfortunately the shot that was taken went straight into the goalkeeper's hands.

The other team's keeper waited a few seconds before restarting the game. She dropped kicked the ball into half field were it landed right in front of me and a opposing forward.

We both jumped up for the ball in a effort to trap it with our bodies. I was strong enough to put my body in front of the other girl and get the ball in my possession. I looked around me for a pass as I held the other girl at arm's length.

While I looked around to make a quick pass another midfielder quickly ran in front of me and collided with my body. The girl had kicked her leg forward to get the ball away from my foot. However, when she brought her foot down she mistakenly caught my ankle. The contact made me cry out in pain as I fell to the floor.

The ref appeared shortly after revealing a yellow card to the midfielder that had hit me, much to her dismay.

My teammates began to surround me when they realized that I hadn't gotten up.

I bit my lip as I tried to hold back my tears. The pain was no longer numbed. I felt it full force as blood began to rush to my foot and my ankle began to buzz. It felt like a million needles were poking me at the same time.

I held my ankle tightly in one hand as I gripped the grass beneath my fingers roughly with the other.

"Fuck," I whispered under my breath as I realized that the ref had called on our trainer to check on me.

I didn't want to leave the field, not when Carli Lloyd was a few feet away trying to spot some talent.

"Hey ref, I'm good. I'm good to play."

The official looked unsure at first but reluctantly allowed me to stay on the field.

My teammates began to disperse around me as I attempted to get off the floor. However, when I tried to put pressure on my foot I winced in pain. I stood up with only one leg planted on the ground.

The ref noticed my discomfort and told me to take it easy.

"No, its fine. I'm good," I replied as I limped towards the center of the field to restart the game.

The ref did not look convinced as he stole a glance at my bench.

My coach had also taken notice of my behavior and skeptically looked at me.

"Ava, are you sure you can play," he called out to me from the sideline.

I nodded my head and gave him a thumbs up. I walked up to the spot that I had been tackled on to get ready to kick the ball back in play.

I limped over to my teammates as they looked at me uncertainly. I brushed them off as I took my place behind the ball.

As I awaited for the ref to blow his whistle to restart the game I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Av, coach is switching you out."

I looked up to see what my teammate was referring to. When I looked towards the bench I saw a sub waiting for me by the sidelines. My coach motioned me forward as one of the side line officials allowed the girl to come in.

I limped over quickly to my bench and planted myself in front of my instructor. 

"Coach what are you doing?! I'm good, it was just a little hit! I just needed to run it off, please don't take me out right now.."

He picked his hand up to stop me.

"Ava, I know you wanted to continue playing, but if you're injured you need to take a seat. Have the trainer look at your foot, you took a bad hit."

I looked around and noticed that the national team recruiter was no where in sight. It was only after realizing that she had left, that I allowed myself to sit down on the bench where the team's trainer looked over my injury.

When I took off my cleat and sock I felt faint.

"Shit," one of the girl's sitting next to me said under her breath as she looked at my bruised foot.

The trainer looked surprised at the inflation and helped me tape my ankle before applying ice to it.

"You need to see a doctor and get an x-ray done. You might have torn some ligaments."

The words echoed in my head soundlessly. I nodded my head and thanked the older man for his assistance. When the game ended the sub that was sitting next to me helped me stand up and walk over to my parents.

Sure enough my moms were freaking out, and they hadn't even seen my foot yet. However the fact that I couldn't walk on it made them worry. I apologized to Christen for coming down to see me play and getting nothing out of it.

"Don't worry, Av. You did your best thats all that counts."

I smiled at Christen as my blonde headed mother helped me to our car. I leaned into my mother as she threw my arm over her shoulder and helped me hop over to the parking lot.

"Where did Hayley go? I saw her at the game earlier, but she wasn't there afterward."

My browned haired mother answered me as she helped me get into the car.

"She didn't really say. She just had to leave for business. I'm guessing national team stuff."

I nodded as I settled myself in the backseat.

We arrived at the hospital several minutes later to get an x-ray done. Lounging in the hospital's waiting room was excruciating. My foot felt like it was on fire and I didn't have anything to numb it down.

After a while we were able to see a doctor as he got the results from my x-rays and explained it to us. 

The physician told it to me straight. 

"You tore one ligament in your left foot and the other is severly injured, but thankfully it has not come undone yet. I'm going to give you some medication to lessen the pain for the next couple of months..."

"Months?!"

I couldn't help but want to protest and tell the older gentleman that he was mistaken. 

"Unfortunately, yes. You're going to have to wear a medical boot for a month or two. I'm also requiring you rest and apply very little pressure to your foot. After everything falls back into place you can start physical therapy if you would like. I also recommend crutches to get yourself around." 

The physician left shortly after writing my prescription and leaving me and my moms to ourselves in the hopsital room. 

We left the ER shortly after and went home.

Silence engulfed the night.

I didn't talk to anyone and no one talked to me. I didn't even answer Hayley's phone call when she tried to check up on me. 

I laid against the couch's cushions and willed myself to fall asleep, but not before swallowing back the medication that the doctor had prescribed for me. It seemed that it not only numbed my physical pain, but emotional pain as well. 


	9. Happy Little Pill

**Next Day  
Ava's POV**

The day after I had gotten my x-ray done, I had woken up to a phone filled with missed calls and text messages.

Some were from friends who had called to check up on me, while others were from teammates who were wondering how bad my injury actually was.

I replied to everyone the same, telling them that I was fine but that I would have to sit out for a while. In return people wished me well and let me be.

The last person I decided to call was Hayley.

Our conversation was brief but it felt like a lifetime.

"It's all my fault..."

"Its no one's fault, Hay," I reassured my girlfriend softly.

I heard the other girl sigh on her end of the line.

I knew she felt bad, but I wasn't going to let her dwell on something that she couldn't help.

"Hay, please don't feel bad. I'll be fine. I'll only be out for a while. Watch, I'll be on the field again in no time."

Hayley stayed silent for a few seconds before responding to me.

"I'm so sorry, Av. I know I can't do anything to help and that's killing me, but I called Hope today and asked about Carli. She said Carli would make a decision at the end of the month after she had traveled around a bit. We saw you play at the game yesterday. I told her you were sporting an injury and she took it into consideration. You still have a shot at being picked out."

The usual excitement and giddiness I would have felt at the news of making the national team was not present. Nonetheless I put up a front and told Hayley that I was happy to hear the news.

I knew that even if there was a possibility that I had impressed Carli Lloyd, I doubt that she would pick out a player that was injured (and therefore useless to her).

"Yeah maybe...listen Hay, I have to go. I'll call you later though."

I wanted to end the conversation but Hayley's melodic voice stopped me before I could hang up.

"Wait Av, I need to tell you one more thing..."

I remained on the line, allowing Hayley to finish her thought.

"I'm leaving for camp in two days. I just...I just wanted to remind you. I want to spend time with you before I go."

"Yeah, of course," I replied automatically as I continued to tell my girlfriend to stop by anytime she wanted.

With that I pulled the phone away from my ear and ended the call leaving me alone in my completely silent living room.

I remained on the sofa that I had been laying on, as I shifted my body slightly. Unfortunately I was forced to use the living room couch as a bed, because my parents did not want me to climb up the stairs every time I needed to rest.

I didn't really mind because the cushions were decent and the sofa's 'mattress' was comfortable enough, however I hated that I had little to no privacy.

My room was my space. It helped me tune out the world when things got too noisy. In a way it was my safe haven. I just knew I would go off the grid without it. I grudgingly accepted my fate, however because the idea of climbing stairs with my injured foot was enough to make me cringe.

I huffed a sigh as I extended my arm towards the coffee table beside me and turned on the TV. I stared at the flat screen as I surfed through the channels. I leaned my head back as I attempted to relax.

Just then I felt the medicine I had taken the night before fade away as my foot began to buzz lightly. I reached across the couch to grab the bottle of pills my doctor had prescribed and slipped two capsules into my hand.

In all honesty I wasn't sure how long I was suppose to wait before taking another dosage, but I couldn't resist swallowing back the pills the moment I felt the stinging on my foot. It was unbearable to have to sit through the pain and I was willing to do anything to numb it. Fortunately the medication worked wonders for me. They were stronger than the over the counter pain killers I had taken before. The only negative side to this was that they made me feel drowsy.

Sure enough after a while I had fallen asleep on the couch again. The sleepiness no doubt coming from the medication and my own boredom.

When I woke up I wasn't sure what time it was, or what I had been dreaming about, but I felt slightly content.

I was thankful that my parents had let me sleep in, but when I looked at my phone I noticed that I had slept throughout most of the day.

_4:30 pm_

"Shit," I whispered under my breath as I was struck back into reality.

As if on cue I received a incoming call from Hayley.

My phone illuminated brightly and buzzed animately in my hand as Hayley's face occupied my screen.

I answered the incoming call, apologizing to Hayley for not being available all day.

The blonde haired striker laughed at first, telling me I sounded like I had just woken up. I truthfully told her that I had, which made her chuckle over the line. I tried defending myself by telling her that it was my new medication, but Hayley teased me by referring to my deep slumber to that of sleeping beauty's.

"Maybe you needed someone to kiss you awake."

"Shut up," I said through a light chuckle, completely cutting off the older girl's banter.

In the end Hayley stopped teasing me and told me she understood completely. After all being a professional athlete led her to have a few broken bones here and there.

We talked for a few minutes afterward. I wished her luck on her camp and she promised to stop by tomorrow to hang out.

"Okay, sounds like a deal," I told the girl as we finalized our plans.

"Deal," Hayley said easily over the line.

I could practically hear the smile in her voice, causing me to smile myself.

"Av, just do me a favor, okay?"

My brows pulled together in confusion at my girlfriend's statement.

"What," I questioned curiously.

"Take it easy on the medication, okay? That stuff is strong, it can cause more trouble than you think."

I looked over to the living room's coffee table where my medication bottle currently stood.

"Yeah, okay," I said shortly before ending the call.


	10. She's Fine

**Two Weeks Later  
Taylor Press-Johnston's POV**

The noise of players and coaches on and off the field resonated loudly as I walked closer to the bleachers. I slumped down on the metal plank as I saw the game in front of me.

I paid little attention, I always had when it came to soccer, it was far from my cup of tea. Unlike my family, I didn't care much for the sport. In fact the only reason I had come to watch the game tonight was to hang out with Ava, my older sister's girlfriend.

I actually liked the youngest Krieger. We were similar in more ways than one, and in those few differences that we had, we took an interest in.

When Ava called me up to ask if I could make the game I said 'sure', after all it was a Friday night and I was free. It wasn't unusual for us to keep one another company, especially when Hayley was out because of national team camps and club soccer. We kept close because on those days when Hayley wasn't around it was as if we both lost our best friend. And currently Hayley had been out at her national team camp for about two weeks.

"Hey, stranger."

I smiled at the greeting as I saw the older girl at the bottom of the bleachers.

My smile faltered when I saw her try to climb up to meet me. I noticed she was still sporting her crutches and quickly made my way to her before she actually had the time to struggle.

"Woah there Ava, take it easy. I want you to go home in one piece," I said jokingly as I sat down at the bottom of the bleachers and patted the seat next to me.

"We can just watch from down here. No need to struggle."

Ava rolled her eyes half-heartedly as she huffed a sigh and sat next to me, placing her crutches to the side.

"Not you too."

I laughed, knowing exactly what she was referring too. I was more than positive that both Ali and Ash were driving Ava crazy with their pestering. I'm sure they were taking extra precautions to ensure their "little girl's" safety and comfort.

"So they are acting pretty bad," I questioned taking my eyes off the game in front of me.

The dark haired midfielder looked at me with an annoyed expression before answering.

"You have no idea, Tay."

I couldn't help but laugh at my sister's girlfriend. By far Ava's parents were the most over protective I've ever encountered, and quite honestly I found it amusing.

"Don't worry, Av. You'll be up and running again in no time and they won't bother you as much," I said reassuringly as I stretched my arms a little.

The older girl sighed lightly before nodding in agreement.

We stayed silent after that, as we both watched the game in front of us. It was a comfortable silence, but it was unusual. Throughout the game I looked over at the older girl to read her expression.

There was no mistaking that the game was slow paced and therefore boring (at least for me), but even a soccer game in this condition would make Ava jump out of her seat in excitement or at the most frustration.

The girl, however remained silent and leveled throughout the whole thing. I could feel my forehead crinkle as I looked at her curiously. My gaze went unnoticed as she kept watching her teammates play.

Then it hit me. It made sense why she wanted to be here, why she _longed_ to be here, and yet how she was not able to be 'here' fully.

"Ava, why are you doing this?"

The dark haired girl looked at me suddenly. Her eyes searched mine as she reevaluated my question in her head.

"What are you talking about," she questioned genuinely.

I sighed before giving it to her straight.

"I know it hurts to know that you can't play, but you don't have to torture yourself by watching all the games you're missing out on. There's no point in doing that."

The girl stared at me for a while longer before dropping her gaze.

"Hayley wouldn't want you to do this..."

The other girl's scoff cut me off as she replied abruptly.

"What does Hayley care. She's not even here..."

She looked down at her hands again before cussing under her breath.

"Fuck...I'm sorry, Tay. I didn't mean that. I'm just... I don't know. It's been different with the injury and with Hayley leaving for camp...I just feel different. I'm sorry, listen how about we get out of here and go out to eat somewhere.."

I nodded in understanding. I may not have been able to relate to the girl's situation, but I understood her frustration.

"Its fine, Av. I get it. Don't worry about it."

The older girl nodded and we headed out to eat at a cheap diner close by the university, the game left forgotten. We talked amongst one another comfortably like before. We shared a light banter between us that never faltered.

The waiter that had served us all night had offered us a good night as he handed Ava the check.

"Av, let's split it," I said trying to reason with the soccer player as she put her card inside the checking book.

She shook her head as she said that it was her treat and handed the book back to the waiter quickly. The teenage boy left before I could stop him and tell him to split the bill for us. I sighed as I let Ava win this round.

I slouched back onto the table's booth as we waited patiently for the waiter to return. As I looked across from me I saw Ava take out a small medical bottle from her purse. I watched silently as she slid two capsules into her palm and up to her mouth.

"Do they help," I asked the twenty-two year old as she quickly swallowed the pills back with a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, they take the pain away when my ankle acts up."

I looked at her confusingly.

"Is it hurting now," I asked as I looked under the table to see the injured limb.

"It was, but these things work fast," she said moving the bottle side to side letting the remaining pills clank lightly against it's walls.

"Do they make you drowsy," I asked curiously.

"Oh, hell yeah. To be honest with you they knock me out. I've actually slept better in the last week than I have in my entire lifetime," the older girl chuckled as she placed the bottle back into her purse.

Eventually the waiter came back with Ava's check and bill and saluted us as we left the restaurant.

I had driven Ava to the diner so I was more than aware that I was probably going to have to drive her home. On the way there I noticed that the dark haired girl was falling asleep in the passenger seat.

"Wow, you weren't lying when you said they knocked you out."

Ava laughed gently as she blinked rapidly trying to keep herself awake.

"Yeah, sometimes I literally just take them for that," she said tiredly as she looked at the window and yawned.

I looked at her confusingly before turning my attention back to the road in front of me.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed contently as she closed her eyes and leaned against the car seat, submitting to sleep.

I sighed knowing that I'd have to deal with waking her up when we got to her place.

When I finally arrived at the Krieger-Harris household I shook Ava awake enough for her to get out of my car and to the front door (with a little help from me).

"Thanks for paying for dinner, Av. I'll treat you to something next time," I promised as I hugged her goodbye.

"No problem, kid. Just text me whenever you wanna hang. I'll be here," she said through a yawn before waving goodbye and closing her front door.

I chuckled to myself as I turned around and got into my car. I drove home shortly after. My moms were waiting for me in the living room. After giving them both a goodnight kiss on the cheek I made my way to my bedroom.

I sighed as I took off my jacket and threw it on my bed. My phone buzzed lightly in my right jean pocket and I unlocked it to see who had texted me.

_Hay: Hey, I heard you went out with Ava. How is she doing?_

I typed back accordingly before laying down on my bed.

_Taylor: Why don't you just ask her yourself if you're so curious?_

My response held a little teasing tone that I commonly used with my sister.

_Hay: Just tell me._

I looked at my screen curiously. Hayley apparently didn't appreciate my sense of humor. I typed back my honest answer before closing my eyes and falling asleep.

_Tay: She's doing just fine, don't worry so much._

Little did I know that I only knew half of the story, and that my advice would have been better received if it wasn't taken at all.


	11. Don't Worry

**Ali's Pov  
Krieger-Harris Household  
One Week Later**

I had woken up early to check up on my daughter. When I came downstairs to see if she was okay, I saw her sleeping quietly on the couch. I thought about waking her up to have some breakfast, but I decided to let her sleep in a little while longer.

The girl had gotten in pretty late last night so I was being mindful of the fact that she probably needed some more rest.

She had been heart broken after the doctor had given her the full injury report on her foot. When he said that she would be missing up to two months of soccer she was devastated to say the least. I was just happy that she took the night off to enjoy herself again.

I brushed a strand of hair away from her face as she slept quietly. Even in her sleep the younger girl seemed troubled by something. Her brows were scrunched together, almost in concentration, as she held a pillow close to her chest.

Although I had planned to let her sleep in, I couldn't help but shrug the younger girl lightly into consciousness. The fact that she looked so bothered in her sleep urged me to do so.

"Hmm.."

The younger girl groaned lightly as she opened her eyes. The light seeping in from the foyer's window led her to hide her face further into her pillow.

"Ava, baby, I'm making breakfast in a few. I'll wake you up when its done," I told the girl soothingly as I walked over to close the window's blinds slightly.

The girl mumbled something into her pillow as she looked over to me.

"Mom...not hungry...just want to sleep," she said to me before pulling her comforter closer to her body.

"You need to eat something baby. It's not good to take your medication on an empty stomach."

The girl ignored me as she remained situated on the couch. I sighed but let her be as I walked into the kitchen and began scrambling some eggs.

Ashlyn joined me shortly after to offer me a helping hand. Well in all honesty, Ashlyn was more of a distraction to me in the kitchen than actual help. Every chance she would get she would sneak up behind me and try to win me over with a kiss.

"Ash, why don't you stop bothering me and tell Ava that breakfast is ready," I told my wife teasingly as I set some plates on our dinning room table.

Ashlyn laughed lightly as she reached over again to kiss me on the cheek before heading into the living room to check up on our daughter.

After I had set the table and poured myself a cup of coffee I sat down and began to eat. Ashlyn appeared moments later, Ava not in tow.

"She says she's not hungry," my blonde headed wife said to me as she sat down and grabbed a piece of toast off my plate.

"Ash she needs to eat something," I said while stirring my coffee lightly with a spoon.

My wife nodded in agreement but argued that the younger girl was probably just taking some extra time to rest.

"Don't worry she's just tired. She'll be awake and hungry by lunch," Ashlyn said nonchalantly as she placed a kiss on my cheek and stood up to grab her own plate.

I agreed to my wife's reasoning reluctantly as I continued to sip on my coffee.

When noon came around, however, Ava claimed that she still wasn't hungry and that she wanted more time to sleep in.

At first I had let it go, thinking that she still needed some time to get over the fact that she was tired after coming home late the night before.  
And I understood that it was a big deal for her to have her own space so I gave it to her.

But when she still didn't budge by dinner time, I had gotten worried. Eventually, with enough persuasion, Ashlyn and I had gotten Ava to eat (even if it was a light meal).

Despite this small victory, my daughter's behavior continued to be irregular and therefore concerning to me.

As days went by several red flags ran through my head as I looked over Ava's behavior. At first I had only planned to keep tabs on her physical well-being, but other things began to catch my attention that ran deeper than her injured ankle.

For starters it seemed that the couch would be permanently indented with the amount of time that she was spending on it. In a way I was happy that she wasn't running around prolonging her injury, but the fact that she rarely left the house during the day was so out of the ordinary.

Hayley, unfortunately, wasn't around to keep Ava company because she had left for her national team training in LA several days after Ava was diagnosed with her torn ligament.  
Despite this I had expected Ava to remain social with her teammates and friends like she usually did when she wasn't with her girlfriend.

However, it seemed like with every passing day she began to talk to her friends less and less. She also avoided going out as often as she used to. Ava explained that it was because it was difficult to go out with crutches, but my motherly instincts told me different.

Her recent sleeping pattern had also caught my attention. It seemed like she would sleep all day and just lounge around all night after me and Ashlyn had fallen asleep. Sometimes she would go out and return at a unreasonable hour in the morning, which didn't help to ease my mind. I had a feeling that she wasn't hanging out with her usual group of friends or even her teammates for that matter.

It worried me because I slowly beginning to realize that Ava was estranging herself from everyone, and that included Ashlyn and I.

I even began to notice that she stopped calling Hayley at night like she usually would to check up on her.

Something was up.

I confronted my wife about it one night after Ava had already gone to bed.

"Ash, I'm worried."

My wife looked at me strangely, completely oblivious to what I was referring to.

"Ava's been acting strange ever since she's gotten injured and I think there's something wrong. I feel like she's...I don't know how to explain it."

Ash walked up to me and pulled me towards our bed. We both laid down against our headboard as we talked.

"Maybe she just needs some more time, Ali. I mean I get it. I know that its hurting her not being able to play."

I sighed before replying.

"We've given her time, Ash! I think if we give her more time she'll just fall of the edge of whatever cliff she's standing on..."

My blonde headed wife looked at me sympathetically as she brushed her thumb against my cheek to wipe away a tear that had unsuspectingly fallen. I didn't even realize that I had begun to cry until she had done that. Ashlyn opened her arms and I fell into them instinctively.

"Ash, she doesn't leave the house anymore, she hasn't talked to her friends, she sleeps all day only to be out all night...and what's worse is that Hayley isn't here to help. As a matter of fact I don't even think she's talking to Hayley. I just don't know what to do."

I rested my head onto Ashlyn's shoulder as she held me.

"Don't worry, Ali. I'm sure she's fine, she's just a little disappointed is all..."

I couldn't help but let some more tears fall at the thought. I just didn't understand why Ava couldn't confine in us.

"Ali, please don't cry...look I'll talk to her. I'll tell her to be mindful of going out late and sleeping better...don't worry babe, it'll be alright.

Ashlyn was desperately trying to cheer me up, and I appreciated her efforts but it wasn't enough.

"Do you think that'll help," I questioned sincerely.

I was willing to do anything to get Ava out of the slump she hadn't gotten herself into.

"It wouldn't hurt to try."

Ashlyn continued to hold me close to her chest as she spoke softly to me. I knew the last thing she wanted to see was me in distress, but I couldn't help but get worked up over our only daughter's well-being.

"Okay, we'll talk to her. We can set some ground rules on certain things...and ask her if anything is bothering her."

Ashlyn kissed my forehead agreeing with me.

"Whatever you want to do, I'll be up for it."

I smiled slightly at my blonde headed wife as I kissed her cheek gently.

Maybe just talking it out wouldn't be such a bad idea.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys this is in correspondence with my other fic "Champion". It takes place within the same AU and is a direct continuation. 
> 
> Feedback is appreciated :)


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